Featured 1920s photo album - sell whole or individual pics?

This belonged to an elderly man who passed away. I couldn't bear to toss it so I saved it. I have sold some cabinet cards in the past but not photos like this. Should I remove & try to sell separately or post the album as is? The man who passed is the boy in the photos

 

I would say sell whole. Some of the pics may not be interesting to buyers, but together they tell a story of a family.
Besides, it will save you a lot of extra work and hassle if you sell it whole.

 

As a whole. Together the photographs create a narrative. And, before you start, you may want find any descendants who would be interested in family history. Don't have to tell you how to do that -- start with his obituary, do an internet search and a search on familysearch.com. If all the photographs are in one place or area, a local historical society might have interest. I see, Plymouth Rock so they were probably all taken in Massachusetts or New England. That photo is pre-1920. The others I see look later in the decade.

Debora

 

I would start whole and part if no interest.

I had 3 photo albums of a hospital teardown done by an amateur photographer. I was sure someone, like me, would be interested in them. I could not get a single buyer. I think I finally donated or chucked them because I have a severe problem of keeping everything.

 

It's a nice family album, Bev. Also, some good photos of women's fashions at the time. (1910s to early 1920s?) -- Looks like there is a large photo with a chipped top that you didn't show in the pictures here? Anyway, I hope you find a buyer. As Debora wrote, it would be a good idea to research the family a bit first to see if you get any leads on relatives who might want it. If not, you could at least list it with locations and perhaps family surnames.

 

They may also be identified as to subject and/or location on their backs.

Debora

 

I would sell it whole too.

 

Very cool. Keep together! I'm not even sure individual photos like this would sell for much unless some have a kind of scene that is really desirable.

Someone interested in clothing of the times would love this. Looks like they were a fairly well to do family.

Nice of you to rescue that, Bev.

Excellent idea.

 

Agree re collector interest in individual photographs.

Debora

 

Yep...a one-item listing.
Key will be a grabber title...an' use as many pics as the listing site will allow. eBay limit is 24.
I wish you Great Good Fortune!

 

Keep them together. My sentiments exactly. I can't see many people wanting to buy them for much money. Would be nice to be reunited them with the family but what do you if you can't. A real shame to bin them but none of us have infinite space in our houses.

I found a load of post cards in a carrier bag in a recycling bin. About half were comedy/holiday postcards. The other half were like family history, life stories, post cards from the trenches with censorship stamps, silk birthday post cards etc. I didn't want them to go to landfill so I took them. Probably wrong of me as this was against the owner's wishes. My mum showed a keen interest in the historical ones as she studies family history. The comedy ones I sold on eBay.

 

You kept them out of a landfill. Good for you. Previous owner's descendants didn't know what to do with them and took the lazy way out. Shame on them. At the very least, they could have donated them to a non-profit thrift.

Debora

 

Thank you. My conscience feels eased now.

 

We are guardians for a developmentally disabled man. Jon's been friends with the family for over 50 years and his parents asked us to take care of him after they passed. He isn't interested in it. There might be some distant cousins somewhere but we are pretty much all the family he has so I don't feel bad about selling it.

 

I will say Bill is quite the character. We took him on five of our trips to Europe with the basketball team so he's well-traveled. He's worked as a bagger at Shaw's supermarket for three decades. He's on a reduced schedule of three days a week now (he's 70) but he won't retire because he enjoys the camaraderie and having something to do. Jon oversee the sale of his family home because it was too much for him and bought him a condo. He's pretty self-sufficient.

 

Forgive me for making assumptions. And what a lovely person you must be to have taken on that role. Then, of course, sell without reservation. If you need assistance with identifying locations (which might help find a buyer), it would be helpful if you posted additional photographs for us.

Debora

 

I know his father grew up in Newton, MA and they lived there until Bill was 18 when they moved to Cape Cod. His parents were older when they had him. He had an older half brother who married, divorced and had no children. He had a black widow girlfriend so for a couple of years after his father died they moved in with Bill. They went to the nursing home and got his mother to put his brother in her will even though the house was Bill's from his father. The girlfriend took anything of value that wasn't nailed down. Family silver, antiques. Even though we were court appointed guardians, it wasn't until his brother died that we could evict her from the house. She had gotten Bill to cash in his Money Market account that his grandmother left him. His brother had made her his beneficiary so she got half the money from the house sale. The good news is Bill's lawyer (pro bono because he also was a family friend) got the court to make her pay Bill back the money she stole from him so he could buy his condo. She was extremely bitter but moved on to another poor unfortunate soul who had just inherited a family business. When she extracted all his money she moved back to NH. You all needed to hear this crazy story! Sorry for getting carried away.

 

Helpful to vent, I'm sure. And a cautionary tale.

Debora

 

I love a backstory !

 

Check the photos closely for other collector categories and mention in title. ie coca cola sign in background, dolls, teddy bears, gas stations, autos. In Calif for awhile in 1990s anything showing Catalina Island pre 1940 was very collectible